Father and sons had only seconds to escape weekend inferno

Adam Davies
Brisbane Newsdesk Reporter
I was born in New South Wales and was educated at Sydney's prestigious Scots College.
I have worked both in Australia and United Kingdom for some of the largest newspaper in the two respective countries.
I joined APN as a senior reporter at The Chronicle in Toowoomba in 2010.
The following year I was named APN's Daily Reporter of the Year for my coverage of the 2011 Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley flood disaster.
I currently work at the APN Newsdesk in Brisbane where I cover state politics...

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ADAM Stiller cut a forlorn figure yesterday as he sifted through what could be salvaged from his Rangeville home.

Emergency services were called to the Currawong St address on Saturday to find the rental property engulfed by flames.

It is believed the fire started in one of the bedrooms before quickly spreading. The house was destroyed by the fire.
Mr Stiller said yesterday that he was still in shock at how events had unfolded at the weekend.

"I heard the smoke alarms go off and I immediately started running through the house," he said.

"As a result, I discovered the entire bottom bunk in one of the bedrooms fully alight.

"I immediately called 000 and then tried to put out the fire with a bucket of water," he said.

Mr Stiller said the fire took hold very quickly, forcing him to flee the inferno with his three young boys.

"The heat was that intense and thick black smoke was filling the house," he said.

"I still cannot believe how incredibly quickly the fire spread and how hot it was.

"We had a matter of seconds to get out of the house.

"All I could do then was sit on the road outside and watch our home and memories go up in flames."

Mr Stiller said the situation could have been much worse.

"I quickly came to the realisation that thank God my family was safe," he said.

"That is all that really matters.

"If it were not for the smoke alarms who knows how it could have ended."

Mr Stiller said fortunately his wife Tamara and his two daughters were in Sydney at the time of the fire.

"It was our old pastor that initially told my wife about the fire," he said.

"After she knew we were all safe her next question was about the family photo albums.

"Through God's grace they were all saved."

Mr Stiller said the family would attempt to start rebuilding their lives, a task made harder with Christmas just around the corner.

"We are staying with friends at the moment," he said. "The next step is to find a new home and start rebuilding our lives.

"We have lost the vast majority of our possessions. There have been some small things that we have managed to salvage."